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A review by ellariawrites
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
5.0
I’m giving this book five stars because it finally broke the formula. Let me explain. (Spoilers for the entire series ahead).
I started this series about two months ago. And individually, these books are great. I love finally seeing Black women get romcom stories. I love all the characters we’ve met, they’re so memorable. And the series explores a lot of interesting topics. But as a whole, this series is the exact same story every time. Couple meets, they have a series of hookups, someone realizes they have feelings, they break up, and 2-3 weeks later (it’s literally always that exact time frame) they get back together.
With the first book, The Wedding Date, it was such a fun, new story. It put a spin on the fake dating trope, it had an interracial relationship, and it showed Alexa and Drew slowly falling for each other, even though they don’t want to admit it. And the ending was beautiful. But then, we get to The Proposal, and it was the exact same story. They meet, they hookup, they break up, they get back together. And while Carlos and Nick were great, and were another interracial couple, it wasn’t really a different story. Then we have Maddy and Theo and once again, it’s the exact same formula. Even Royal Holiday had the same formula. Albeit, we did get to see an older couple and a bit of a long distance relationship, but it was still the same formula. How fun would it have been to read about this older couple as they wrote postcards back and forth to each other and slowly fell in love, as opposed to the “ah let’s just hookup and keep it casual oops I love you now we’ve broken up oh and now we’re back together”?
It got very old and very frustrating and made it difficult to enjoy the series as it went on because I knew everything that was going to happen. Why did it always have to start with hookups? Why couldn’t they just be like alright I like you, you like me, let’s date? Why couldn’t we just explore their relationships, especially when you think of the interracial relationships? I always wished they really explored more of what it meant for a Black woman to date a white or Latino man. Maybe it’s because I’m in my early 20s but is that really what dating is like when you’re in your mid to late 30s? You just want hookups, nothing serious? Always extremely resistant to the idea that you might actually like someone? And then when they broke up, Lord it was always for the dumbest reasons: not one ounce of communication. And the conflict was always internal, never external, which again was weird when two of the couples were interracial. Even a book where the first 3 couples go on vacation together and we get to explore what it’s been like in their relationship would’ve been such a refreshing take in the series. Again, individually, the books are great. But when you look at the series as a whole, it’s frustrating how the author never tried anything new.
I say all of this to you can imagine how I felt going into Party of Two. Here we go again, same formula. That is, until I got exactly 2.5 hours in (I listened to the audiobook) and heard Max say with his whole chest that he liked Olivia and wanted to be her boyfriend. What a concept! I couldn’t believe it! I did get rather nervous as the story went on and Olivia kept insisting to keep it casual, until about 4.5-5 hours in when Olivia was introducing him as her boyfriend and they said “I love yous.” I was ecstatic. Finally! A story that’s exploring the actual relationship. Finally, one where the conflict is external and they have to navigate their relationship. Max is a politician and the conflict springs from them, mostly Olivia, having to deal with the pressure that comes from that. And they actually explores racism! They actually talk a number of times and the impact it has on Olivia and subsequently their relationship. And when they break up, it actually made perfect sense and felt earned. Because they were already dating and their break up made sense, the reconciliation was so wonderful and heartwarming. It wasn’t spent on the “will they won’t they” admit their love for each other - they already love each other! - it was spent on them reflecting on their relationship thinking about what worked and what didn’t work, recognizing where they both went wrong, and the contract, bless that contract I think I might use that in my own relationship one day. The ending was incredible.
I will say that this one felt very insular. Whereas in the first three books, we see characters still interacting with each other, in this one, all we get is like a scene and a half of Olivia and Max interacting with Alexa. The story felt a little lonely in that respect. Perhaps that was an intentional choice? Hard to say. Maybe it’s just because I love Alexa and always want to see her interact with everyone. My favorite couple is still Alexa and Drew, but Max and Olivia are a veryyyyyyy close second. They might even be tied honestly.
This was definitely the best book in the series so far. I hope that the next book, While We Dating, continues this refreshing trend and doesn’t go back to the same old formula.
I started this series about two months ago. And individually, these books are great. I love finally seeing Black women get romcom stories. I love all the characters we’ve met, they’re so memorable. And the series explores a lot of interesting topics. But as a whole, this series is the exact same story every time. Couple meets, they have a series of hookups, someone realizes they have feelings, they break up, and 2-3 weeks later (it’s literally always that exact time frame) they get back together.
With the first book, The Wedding Date, it was such a fun, new story. It put a spin on the fake dating trope, it had an interracial relationship, and it showed Alexa and Drew slowly falling for each other, even though they don’t want to admit it. And the ending was beautiful. But then, we get to The Proposal, and it was the exact same story. They meet, they hookup, they break up, they get back together. And while Carlos and Nick were great, and were another interracial couple, it wasn’t really a different story. Then we have Maddy and Theo and once again, it’s the exact same formula. Even Royal Holiday had the same formula. Albeit, we did get to see an older couple and a bit of a long distance relationship, but it was still the same formula. How fun would it have been to read about this older couple as they wrote postcards back and forth to each other and slowly fell in love, as opposed to the “ah let’s just hookup and keep it casual oops I love you now we’ve broken up oh and now we’re back together”?
It got very old and very frustrating and made it difficult to enjoy the series as it went on because I knew everything that was going to happen. Why did it always have to start with hookups? Why couldn’t they just be like alright I like you, you like me, let’s date? Why couldn’t we just explore their relationships, especially when you think of the interracial relationships? I always wished they really explored more of what it meant for a Black woman to date a white or Latino man. Maybe it’s because I’m in my early 20s but is that really what dating is like when you’re in your mid to late 30s? You just want hookups, nothing serious? Always extremely resistant to the idea that you might actually like someone? And then when they broke up, Lord it was always for the dumbest reasons: not one ounce of communication. And the conflict was always internal, never external, which again was weird when two of the couples were interracial. Even a book where the first 3 couples go on vacation together and we get to explore what it’s been like in their relationship would’ve been such a refreshing take in the series. Again, individually, the books are great. But when you look at the series as a whole, it’s frustrating how the author never tried anything new.
I say all of this to you can imagine how I felt going into Party of Two. Here we go again, same formula. That is, until I got exactly 2.5 hours in (I listened to the audiobook) and heard Max say with his whole chest that he liked Olivia and wanted to be her boyfriend. What a concept! I couldn’t believe it! I did get rather nervous as the story went on and Olivia kept insisting to keep it casual, until about 4.5-5 hours in when Olivia was introducing him as her boyfriend and they said “I love yous.” I was ecstatic. Finally! A story that’s exploring the actual relationship. Finally, one where the conflict is external and they have to navigate their relationship. Max is a politician and the conflict springs from them, mostly Olivia, having to deal with the pressure that comes from that. And they actually explores racism! They actually talk a number of times and the impact it has on Olivia and subsequently their relationship. And when they break up, it actually made perfect sense and felt earned. Because they were already dating and their break up made sense, the reconciliation was so wonderful and heartwarming. It wasn’t spent on the “will they won’t they” admit their love for each other - they already love each other! - it was spent on them reflecting on their relationship thinking about what worked and what didn’t work, recognizing where they both went wrong, and the contract, bless that contract I think I might use that in my own relationship one day. The ending was incredible.
I will say that this one felt very insular. Whereas in the first three books, we see characters still interacting with each other, in this one, all we get is like a scene and a half of Olivia and Max interacting with Alexa. The story felt a little lonely in that respect. Perhaps that was an intentional choice? Hard to say. Maybe it’s just because I love Alexa and always want to see her interact with everyone. My favorite couple is still Alexa and Drew, but Max and Olivia are a veryyyyyyy close second. They might even be tied honestly.
This was definitely the best book in the series so far. I hope that the next book, While We Dating, continues this refreshing trend and doesn’t go back to the same old formula.